Joplin courthouse scuffle sends two to county jail

Friday

A Galena, Kan., man and a Joplin man were arrested in Joplin on Wednesday after a fight on the second floor of the Jasper County Courts Building in Joplin.

A Galena, Kan., man and a Joplin man were arrested in Joplin on Wednesday after a fight on the second floor of the Jasper County Courts Building in Joplin.

Jasper County Sheriff Archie Dunn said Carlos Blake Gandy, 22, Galena, and Douglas L. Garver, 29, Joplin were arrested shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday at the courts building after a fight broke out in the building.

The sheriff's office said the victim, a male, was struck in the face and body by Gandy and Garver, but his injuries were minor. The victim was seen later nursing a bloody nose.

The sheriff's office said the fight caused some property damage in the courts building.
Gandy had been in court on Feb. 13 on a separate case where he is charged with tampering with a motor vehicle on Nov. 15, 2007. He's scheduled to return to court on 9:05 a.m., Feb. 27.

Garver pleaded guilty on Feb. 14 to operating a motor vehicle with defective brakes, and was sentenced to pay a $150 fine and costs.

As of Thursday afternoon, no charges had been filed against Gandy in Wednesday's incident. One charge of misdemeanor third degree assault had been filed against Garver.